Pages

Saturday, February 13, 2010

My New Friend, the Multi-Step Buttonhole

It's a long weekend here in the U.S., and what better way to spend it than getting to know my new machine? I picked her up last night, and we're already getting along smashingly. (I haven't named her yet - I figure I'll give her a little time for her personality to emerge.) Despite my earlier doubts about a multi-step buttonholer, I'm already a convert. My old machine used to jam, without fail, right in the middle of a buttonhole. I love having the control of being able to start sewing again anywhere in the process in case something goes awry. So thanks to all of you who spoke up in defense of multi-step buttonholes.

Also, I find the multi-step buttonhole so fun! As you know, I'm a knob turner. And a six-step buttonhole on a mechanical machine is basically a knob turner's dream. Woo hoo! Just another wild weekend here at Chez Gertie.That's one of my practice buttonholes at the top of the post. Not bad, huh? The sides look a little thin to me, perhaps because I'm pulling the fabric too much. I'm so instinctively worried about jams from my old machine that I'm probably trying to control it too much! I'm going to try to chill out on that a bit.

Other than making more a ridiculous number of buttonholes, I've also been whipping up some blouses and working on a fun new tutorial for you. I'm really excited about this one . . . more details to come.

I hope you all are enjoying a fabulous weekend of sewing and relaxing!

19 comments:

The thing I often do with machine buttonholes is to sew them twice, especially on heavy fabric. For me this reinforces the ends and gets the sides nice and sturdy too. I don't have problems with the automatic buttonholer on my janome aside from the fact that it doesn't take buttons larger than about an inch. I get around this by doing large ones by hand or getting them professionally made. I learnt on a machine that had a 4 step, but it was a terrible machine and never made good stiches anyway! But on a bernina it's great!Also I heard that you can get seperarte tools for older machines (ie: 50s) that make really nice button holes but can't remember what they are called....

As an owner of a 1008 (I've had my machine for about 10 years and it hasn't got a name! Or a sex! can you believe it?) I can tell that you're pulling the fabric too much, and they'll turn out beautiful with some practise... Glad to hear you're enjoying it!

Can't wait to your new tutorial, that sounds exiting! I've got so many new plans with shirts after my successful flamingo shirt, and I'm sure your tutorial will be of help!

Josephine.h is mentioning buttonholers, and I see that there's plenty of the typical Singer buttonholer for sale on ebay. Since you're my oracle, Gertie, I'm asking: Do you know anything about these or if they'll fit for our Berninas? I know I'm the one who should've known that, as you've had your machine only a couple of days, but you seem to know all sorts of stuff... I've tried to do some research, but sometimes I find technical sewing machine language a bit hard as English isn't my first language.

Congratulations on your new machine. I had no doubt you'd quickly master the multi-step buttonhole.I think you did a great job asesssing your needs and weighing them to make your sewing machine decision. The business model used by SM manufacturers /delaers is furstratingly outdated and much maligned. Too many people go in with an idea of what they want and come out with a machine costing way more; with features they will never use. Enjoy!!

I agree you are pulling the fabric which not only will affect your buttonhole but will also affect the needle nicking the bobbin hook. I speak from experience there. Place a piece of tissue paper under your buttonholes as they stitch and also try corded buttonholes. You will be in love for sure!

Aren't the multi-step buttonholes the best? I, too, argued with them on my Viking machines. Then I found my Bernina 930 at a yard sale, and have finally stopped dreading anything that required a buttonhole. I'm going to try making corded buttonholes with it as well; the buttonhole foot has a little "hook" on the nose to hold the loop.

As much as I'd love an automatic buttonholer, I freely admit that my machine makes buttonholes well. Of course, it's really a matter of practice. I've honestly had to make almost fifty buttonholes to really get comfortable with it.

My old Pfaff 1222E is a multi-step one, and even different from the 1222. And Gertie neither of my machines have names, aside from "You stupid piece of CRAP machine" when they're misbehaving, and "Come on, be nice to Mama because this has to get done," when I'm coaxing it. Older machines have their charms... and their irritations.

I'm going to share my favorite buttonhole tips: 1)Machine-made buttonholes at minimum have 3 strands of open space between the "legs." After sewing, cutting, and trimming loose threads, find a Sharpie as close as you can to the same color and go over the cut surfaces. This helps to keep light colored threads or interfacing from showing and looking "ragged." 2) Use stabilizer on the bottom of thick knits to ease the movement of the feed dogs. I have 2 Brothers, a BabyLock, and a Bernina. The Bernina does the best buttonholes, by far!

I totally agree with others - just let the machine do it's thing on button holes. I try to just support the fabric so the rest of the garment is not pulling to the side/back/etc. That goes for the machine that does automatic buttonholes also.

Thanks for the tip on sewing buttonholes twice Josephine.h and the other buttonhole tips San Antonio Sue.